Centennial Honors College
Western Illinois University
Undergraduate Research Day 2012
Podium Presentation
Hungry? Why wait? Grab a Novel.
Tenisia Adams and Ashley Hurley
Faculty Mentor: Bonnie K. Sonnek
English and Journalism
Why has young adolescents’ interest in reading begun to dwindle? It is because media
has taken over their lives and students are becoming less interested in novels. Over the
course of time students have found that they do not relate to the characters in novels
they are forced to read in school. Carol Booth Olsen and Kylene Beers, two educators
and advocators for young adult literacy, believe young adult novels need to have
characters students can relate to, as we as, real life situations students can see
themselves in. After researching, we have found that young adults also agree that the
reason they have no interest in reading is because they are not interested in the plot
lines. More recently, students have found interest in novels that provide them with and
imaginable adventure, but realistic depiction of society and the struggles of community.
For instance, the novel series of The Hunger Games gives the students that young
relatable character and realistic setting they have been waiting for. Our presentation will
show why these more up to date young adult novels are the right choice for teachers to
use in their classrooms.